Happy Christmas Hermione
by Blackrose Malfoy
Summary: Hermione has been feeling rather reclusive and depressed lately so Neville takes it upon himself to make sure she has a good holiday. Written for chewinggumandpencils's Hot Chocolate Competition/Challenge and WeasleySeeker's Pairing Love Competition.


**Author's Note: This was written for chewinggumandpencils's Hot Chocolate Competition/Challenge and WeasleySeeker's Pairing Love Competition. I've always thought Neville/Hermione could be a cute pairing so I figured I'd take a shot at it. Hopefully I did it justice. :) Anyway, please read and review to let me know what you thought of it! Happy reading everyone! :)**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything in the Harry Potter universe belongs to J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and Warner Bros (and maybe some others I forgot to mention). If this information is not correct I apologize. (I looked it up to make sure this disclaimer was accurate and that's what I found.) I make no money from this. This (writing fanfiction for the best book series of all time!) is just something I do for fun. (So please don't sue me!)**

Happy Christmas Hermione

He couldn't help but notice the staggering amount of loneliness and sadness that seemed to radiate off of her these days. The reason behind it was understandable of course but his heart still ached when he watched her go through so much pain, alone. This past year had been hard on her. She had lost so much; first her parents, then Ron, and countless others. He couldn't imagine what someone in her situation must be feeling. But he was hoping to alleviate some of her despair this evening, even if only temporarily.

Neville approached where Hermione sat staring blankly out at the Hogwarts grounds. The look her eyes held was distant. It seemed almost as if she was viewing but not really seeing the scenery below them. The sight from Gryffindor tower was still as beautiful as it had always been but it now also held memories from the war. Anyone who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts now looked at this part of the world differently than they had before. And they always would.

He supposed in a way he could understand why the scene brought her comfort. It was changed, just as she was. But it persevered and pressed on despite all it had suffered. The forest was slowly mending itself. Amongst the damaged trees young, healthy ones were now beginning to grow. Despite the fact that the grounds were still littered with broken pieces of stone the castle had been rebuilt. And even though the war had ravaged this place it had not destroyed the hope that echoed within its halls. That was illustrated by every student and teacher who had returned there this year. The world would not allow this wondrous place fall to ruin, just as Neville refused to let Hermione Granger fall to ruin.

Neville joined her but sat silently. He made a point to keep his presence unobtrusive, which is why he always waited to speak until spoken to when it came to her. He respected her solitude and did not want to risk pushing her away by interrupting whatever thoughts she was trying to work through.

After several minutes of companionable, but not awkward, silence passed between them she finally acknowledged him. "Why aren't you at the feast with the others?" she asked.

He shrugged. In truth Christmas just wouldn't have felt like Christmas without Hermione there. Neville had been infatuated with her for years but it was more than that which kept him in the Gryffindor common room that night. "I'd rather be here," he answered with a smile, "No one should be alone on Christmas Hermione."

She gave him a small smile but the expression quickly faded as the sadness overtook her again. "It doesn't feel much like Christmas this year," she confessed quietly.

"Well let's change that then," he suggested cheerfully. Neville would not be defeated that easily. He was determined to give Hermione a good Christmas because she deserved it more than anyone else he knew.

After looking around the common room for a moment an idea sparked. "Aha!" he exclaimed when it came to him. "I'll be right back," he said quickly as he got up and made his way across the large room.

When he returned he was carrying two large mugs of hot chocolate. "I hope I did the spell right. I transfigured these from two candles so if I made a mistake I reckon they'll taste a good deal like wax," he warned.

Hermione chuckled slightly as she accepted her mug graciously. She took a sip and then smiled at him warmly. "It tastes great Neville. Thank you," she replied.

The two of them slipped back into the comfortable silence. Neville was feeling quite proud of himself. He had set out to save her holiday and he had done it, at least partially. His feeling of satisfaction quickly faded though when he realized she was crying.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he wondered worriedly. In response she simply began to cry harder and it didn't take long for her tears to progress to full blown sobs.

"I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought…" he stammered uncertainly, feeling miserable for causing her distress. Neville had absolutely no idea what had gone wrong with his plan.

"No, no, you didn't upset me," she assured him once she had mostly stifled her tears. She took a moment longer to calm herself before continuing. "It's just… this is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in quite some time. Ever since the end of the war I've felt rather invisible. I thought coming back here would help but… I'm just as invisible here as I am out there…" she trailed off, once again being pulled away into her own thoughts.

Before he had a chance to respond she added, "And here I am blabbering on like an idiot. I'm sorry."

"You don't sound like an idiot," he corrected her quickly, "And you're not invisible. Not to me."

It surprised him when he saw her eyes light up in a way that they hadn't in a long time. "It's nice to know that someone cares," she told him sincerely.

"Of course I care! How could I not care about you? You're strong, smart, funny, beautiful…" As soon as he realized what he'd said Neville blushed and looked away. He hadn't meant to reveal that he looked at her that way. At a time where she needed a true friend more than anything he had gone and messed everything up by opening his big mouth. Now she would surely think he was only being nice to her because he had more than friendship on his mind.

"Neville?" she questioned. He couldn't be sure but he thought he heard a hint of hope in her voice.

He took a deep breath before he turned back to face her. "I'm sorry…" he began but she quickly cut him off.

"Don't be," she informed him, "I'm not." Hermione flashed him a bright smile, the brightest she had been able to manage in a long time, before she added, "Besides, I like knowing that you think I'm beautiful."

"Really? You do?" he asked, shocked. He couldn't believe it. Was there a chance that Hermione felt the same way for him that he did for her?

Her genuine laughter, a kind of laughter that he had not heard from her in months, at his unnecessary insecurity rang out throughout the common room. This was the Hermione he remembered from before the war.

"Yes. I do," she replied. And before he could completely comprehend what she had just said she'd moved closer to him and brushed her lips against his. Neville Longbottom had just kissed Hermione Granger. Or rather, Hermione Granger had just kissed him.

As she moved to pull away he pulled her back gently and deepened the kiss. When they finally separated she rested her forehead against his. "Wow," she breathed shakily.

"Yeah, wow," he echoed her sentiments ineloquently.

She giggled. "So, how about some more hot chocolate?" she suggested as she sat up and reached for her empty mug.

He took the glass from her and conjured more hot chocolate. After he'd finished with her mug he repeated the spell on his own. Feeling like everything was once again right with the world he took a large gulp… and then promptly spit it back into the mug. A second later Hermione followed suit. This time it did taste like wax.

"It's good," she lied with a grimace. Both of them broke out into an easy laughter at that.

Once their laughter had finally subsided Neville took Hermione's hand in his. "Happy Christmas Neville," Hermione said with a restored exuberance about her.

"Happy Christmas Hermione," he replied before moving in to kiss her again.

It wasn't until later that evening that both of them noticed there was a sprig of mistletoe hung above them in the Gryffindor common room. It seemed that maybe they owed what had transpired between them that night to fate. Well, fate and hot chocolate that is.


End file.
